MacNewsWorld Talkback

In the history of Apple applications and features, there's only one that consistently makes me feel like I'm an idiot: iCloud. The problem is, I can't tell where iCloud begins and where it ends. I can't tell when it's working, when it's not working, and when I've just selected the wrong setting. Consequently, my experience is not anywhere near Apple's vision, not even close to Apple's promises. If Apple's iCloud is a Hawaiian paradise, I'm in Siberia.

As the mass-market slowly catches up with the early-adopters of personal clouds and the like, it will bring the challenge of 'family' to the fore... I have my own Apple ID, as does my wife. I don't see why I should need two, just so I can have my own email and calendar but so that we can share media. Likewise I don't see why content that I purchase I shouldn't be able to share with my wife; I could lend her a CD, or a book or a DVD... yet in iTunes I can't do this readily and easily.

Clearly Apple et al have to protect themselves against large groups of content sharers. However there are clearly groups of people, namely families, that should - legitimately - have access to each others content.

I think the organisation that cracks the family argument - in addition to making a cloud work for multiple people without the need for a PHD in organisational science, will have a distinct competitive advantage. Particularly in the ability to manage content for children (minors to my American friends!)

I agree that iCloud is a bit difficult to understand and use. I agree that having two Apple ID's under one roof for a couple is confusing. BUT, I am glad that I don't share it with the wife. The stuff that she puts on her phone and computer is not what I want. I don't want to share her crap, and she doesn't want mine. However, I've found that all video and music I place on a home server is fully accessible for everyone. Through her own itunes account she has full access. However as well, I do a lot of behind the scenes to make that happen. I don't purchase video and music through iTunes. I find other means and place it in my server for all to use. no longer an issue for sharing. PS. you're complaining a bit much. its not that bad.

I like Apple products, I hate Apple services. They are in constant flux they work sometimes and sometimes they don't. I think Apple uses these services like iCloud to simply lock people into a useless and meaningless ecosystem because many don't know their are better options for Apple lovers. Its just sucks you in from the time you turn on that Apple product. Oh, and just try getting away from iCloud services. You can't just delete a Apple ID or simply erase iCloud. No you can turn it off. But you cannot delete your account.
I think Apple should be fined for creating such a closed ecosystem. If Microsoft tried this the EU would certainly say something.

iCloud is useless for me. I use Outlook for Mac as my main email, contacts and calendar app. Outlook for Mac syncs well enough with the Apple’s Contacts and Calendar apps on my Mac, but backing up these apps to iCloud through iTunes creates duplicates of all entries in the both address books and calendars (Outlook’s and Apple’s). There are de-duplicate apps you can purchase to fix this nightmare after it occurs, but it took $4.99, a lot of Googling (where I found this problem was widespread) and 3 hours wasted from my life just to get back to square one. Depending on how many contacts and calendar entries one has, attempting to de-dup by hand could take days. The only solution for me that keeps my head out of the blender is to back up my iPhone and iPad to my computer and use a third-party backup service to store that data in the cloud. iCloud is a nice theory, but in practice it is a complete waste of time, with the exception of the find my iThing feature which can be useful in an emergency, but can also be delivered as a standalone app/service.

Not yet being an assiduous user of iCloud, I have been mildly irritated every time I tried using it. It all seems less obvious - "cloudy" even - than that to which the Mac environment has accustomed us. I put that impression down precisely to my so far intermittent usage of the Cloud services but if a discerning user like your good self is unhappy with it, then there is indeed something amiss. I very much look forward to following your exploration and comments on iCloud. I'm sure it will help many a perplexed user. Would that the reshuffled teams at Cupertino also find your comments helpful.